Data acquisition has seen remarkable improvements as technology evolved over the years. Various local peripheral devices are coupled to computer systems via a variety of recently developed interfaces, including USB, mini USB, IEEE-1394, and others. The foregoing interfaces are usually equipped with a high-speed serial bus to revolutionize the transport of digital data for computers and for professional or consumer electronics products. Besides, their plug-and-play feature is capable of searching for and loading an appropriate device driver for the coupled peripheral device, which makes them ideal for connecting devices to computers and contributes to their widespread adoption in industrial applications, including flash drive and thumb drive. Such advantages escalate data portability and mobility, but always accompany shortcomings. In other words, these ubiquitous interfaces are rather delicate and vulnerable to damp or static electricity. Therefore, standard flash drive or pen drive is usually equipped with a cap or cover to protect its interface from the risk of exposure.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional pen drive, including a cover 11, a USB 12 interface, and a case 13. The cover 11 is detachably connected to the case 13 to cover the USB interface 12. The case 13 is internally provided with circuits for storing and transmitting computer data, and is electrically connected to the USB interface 12, such that when the cover 11 is removed from the case 13 to expose the USB interface 12, which may be directly plugged into a USB hub provided on a computer to function like an externally connected hard disk drive to transmit or store data. The USB interface 12 is integrally connected to an end of the case 13, and is protected by the cover 11 against unexpected damage from collision, damage, distortion or deformation of the USB interface 12. The cover 11 is completely separated from the case 13 once it is removed therefrom. In the event a user carelessly lost the separated cover 11, the USB interface 12 is no longer protected and stands a great chance of damage. Hence, how to improve the disadvantage in prior art is the major discussion of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a flash drive with a retractable USB interface for eliminating chances of losing the cap for protecting the USB interface. As illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, a USB interface 22 is retractable and primarily controlled by pushing a button 21. When pushing forward the button 21, as the arrow indicated in FIG. 2A, the USB interface 22 protrudes out a case 23 of the flash drive. Reversely, when pushing the button 21 toward the direction as the arrow indicated in FIG. 2B, the USB interface 22 is withdrawn back into the case 23. Besides, the case 23 is provided with a slot 231 for allowing linear movement of the button 21. The slot 231 destroys the integrity of surface of the case 23, which could have been reserved for exquisite appearance design or other purposes.
Please refer to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. They illustrate a structure of a data storage apparatus according to U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,852, including a first interface 10, a body 12, and a second interface 14. Each of the top and bottom surfaces of the body 12 is respectively disposed with a containing space 19, and on a top and a bottom end of the body 12 are each respectively pivotally disposed with the first interface 10 and the second interface 14, such that both of the first interface 10 and the second interface 14 can be respectively accommodated into the containing spaces 19. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the first interface 10 and the second interface 14 are pivotally accommodated in the containing spaces 19 of the body 12, while there are portions of both interfaces left uncovered. The pivotal joint might become loose after constant usage, thus the interfaces would fall off the containing spaces. As a result, the first interface and the second interface still might suffer from the risk of exposure.
Therefore, a need exists for a dual interface data storage apparatus with protection mechanism. A movable carriage and a push button disposed thereon are adopted for controlling movement of the dual interfaces. Through switching the push button, both of the interfaces are able to either protrude out or drawn back into the case of the data storage apparatus. Unlike conventional storage apparatuses, the present invention not only eliminates chances of losing the cap of the conventional storage apparatus, but significantly mitigates the problems of prior arts as well.